Before deciding to do it all yourself – find out what Wedding Planners actually do!

by Grisel Damgaard, of Monte-Carlo Weddings

Let’s face it – other than having maybe watched the movie “The Wedding Planner” starring Jennifer Lopez or having seen Martin Short’s hilarious rendition as Franck Eggelhoffer in Steve Martin’s “Father of the Bride,” most people do not really know what wedding planners do.

I think that part of the problem lies in that until couples enter the world of bride-to-be and groom-to-be  they have a firm grasp of what other professional service providers do for a living (they are clear in their minds as to the utility of a lawyer when they are doing legal battles and of an accountant when organizing their finances) but they don’t have a clue of the myriad of tasks and the complexity of a wedding planners’ job for  the simple reason that (most) people planning big weddings are getting married for the very first time.

Opening doors
The very first major decision you will make (other than whom to marry, of course) is where to hold the ceremony and reception. A good Wedding Planner knows a host of exclusive venues which are not necessarily advertised to the masses. In addition, venues often prefer working with Wedding Planners instead of with a couple directly because their reputation for attention to detail and professionalism will precede them – i.e. the venue representatives will know who they are dealing with. The entire process becomes much smoother because the Wedding Planner knows how to translate a couple’s wishes into reality and has experience coordinating all of the suppliers’ efforts on the big day.

Giving you peace of mind
The average engaged couple spends 200 hours planning their wedding. Hiring a professional to take care of your wedding will mean that you will not be single-handedly be planning what most people consider “the biggest day of your life,” while simultaneously juggling your job and other commitments, to be attended by 150 of your “closest” friends and family, with (most of the time) no event nor wedding planning experience. All of this, of course, after months of negotiating with the caterers, the florist, the decorator, the photographer, the videographer, the wedding cake baker, the DJ and last but not least working out if the invitations should be off-white or eggshell white (there IS a difference, believe it or not).

Having a wedding planner whom you know, whom you trust, with whom you have laughed (hopefully not cried) and discussed with over the past few months will make your Big Day stress free. Who wants to be explaining parking arrangements to people or figuring out where to find a last-minute babysitter, a last-minute sewing kit or a last-minute replacement for the church organist… when they are getting married?

Saving you money
One of the first things that a wedding planner will do is save you money. You might be able to negotiate deals in your every day business life, that is for certain. However, don’t underestimate the breath of knowledge that you have attained over the years about your particular industry. A good wedding planner will negotiate prices down on just the right things – depending on which elements of the Wedding are the most important to you and what your overall budget is.

Choosing… just the right one for you
Last but not least, a word of warning once you have decided to hire a wedding planner. Just like with all service providers – there are varying degrees of experience and professionalism out there, and this is not something you want to get wrong. Do your research, ask for references (by phone, not just written ones), check that they are accredited by the ABC, the NAPWS and the AfWPI, and generally ask around.

Additionally, most people assume that the planners they sign on with will take care of every single last detail of the wedding – but: you guess it – they don’t always. What many couples do not know is that most planners do not take care of the following issues and services:

Managing your RSVP lists
Ask any bride who has organized her own wedding, and she will tell you what the biggest headache was: “the RSVPs!” Not only is this one of the most time-consuming tasks of the entire process, but it can be one of the most challenging as well, especially with big weddings.

Words of wisdom: depending on how much time there is before the wedding, you need to set and stick to various deadlines: creating the invitations (and making sure they are printed on time), sending out the save the dates announcements, sending out the invitations, setting the deadlines, sending out reminder emails and deciding on the final official numbers for the caterers, for the gifts and for general logistical purposes. The good thing with a full-service wedding planner is that they will take care of all of this for you!

Managing your guests’ hotel accommodations
Where is everyone going to stay? Even if you are not planning a destination wedding, you can always count on some of your guests needing accommodation. Full-service wedding planners will help you find the right hotels, negotiate group rates and take care of all of the individual reservations and payments. An added bonus for you is they will then know where everyone is staying, so they can organize personalized transportation services to and from the hotels, the ceremony and the reception.

Managing your guests’ questions and special requests
Like I said – the last thing you want is to spend weeks asking questions such as: “Can you book me a round of golf?”, “What should I wear?”, “Can you make me a spa reservation” or “Where can I rent a wheelchair one hour before the wedding?  Ensuring that all of these matters are someone else’s job will save a lot of hassle and stress.

Personalized attention to all your guests
A wedding planner who gives it their all will also help you create a personalized atmosphere for your guests. How about personalized luggage tags sent to your guests by post ahead of time, personalized welcome letters and place cards which include a little note from the bride and groom on the other side?

An excruciating level of attention to detail
Is the wedding planner able to give the caterer an up-to-date list of where guests with dietary requirements are seated during the dinner? Fool-proof organisation is the name of the game. Remember: the more organized they are, the more relaxed you will be!

They only do planning
Wedding planners who “conveniently” also are decorators or caterers are just that: decorators or caterers who conveniently hang up the “wedding planning sign” in order to get your business, as suppliers. A real planner does nothing else other than plan weddings.

Those little extras
Need someone to go wedding dress shopping with you? Maybe you need someone to help you sort out all of the official papers. A full-service wedding planner won’t bat an eye at even the craziest request: it’s all in a day’s work.

The big clincher: Communication!
A full-service wedding planner is there for you, period. Setting limits as to when they can be called, how often you can be contacted, who can contact them, what matters they are willing to deal with, is not what its all about. They should be there to hear you out, to fix your problems, assuage your concerns and help you throughout the entire process, from the very beginning. The quality of the communication you enjoy with your wedding planner will be a measure of the success of your wedding. In other words: a full-service wedding planner will not only do everything you ask them to do, but will go above and beyond the call of duty to exceed your expectations as well as your guests.’ After all, it’s your Wedding!

Frank and Grisel Damgaard runs Monte-Carlo Weddings, a full-service Wedding Planning company in the South of France. For more on their company visit www.montecarloweddings.com, where you can read testimonials and watch videos on various wedding venues.